John’s suffering ~

Jesus could not rescue John without risking His own mission, that said ~ it did not mean He did not care. He felt the pain of John’s death. Satan had failed to make Jesus sin, so he caused John’s death to make Jesus suffer.

Many wonder why John was left to die in prison. His fate won’t shake our confidence in Almighty God. If we understand that John was honored to share the suffering Jesus went through to save humanity. Everyone who follows Jesus WILL suffer in the war against Satan.

John was not forgotten. Angels kept him company, helping him understand the prophecies and promises of Scripture. John would be an example and an encouragement to the thousands through the centuries who would suffer in lonely prison cells, or die by the sword, by fire, or by torture. John’s story would reassure them that God had not forgotten them either.

God never allows things to happen to His children that they would not choose for themselves if they knew the end from the beginning and could understand their part in His plans. Neither Enoch nor Elijah, both of whom went to heaven without dying, were greater than John the Baptist who died alone in a dungeon.

Of all the gifts heaven can give us, the heaviest trust and the highest honor goes to those who share Jesus’ suffering to save the human race.